66 BIRDS OF THE NEW YORK CITY REGION 



strongly dark above and light below, and immature birds are 

 always noticeably barred below, never true of immature 

 Gulls. 



With us Jaegers are eminently pelagic migrants, and are 

 infrequently seen from the coast. The best place to observe 

 them is the fishing banks off Montauk Point, but they occur 

 regularly almost anywhere along the south shore of Long 

 Island from 3-5 miles off-shore, and are commonly observed 

 from fishing vessels and passing steamers between August 

 and December. In the spring they are apparently much 

 rarer. Their numbers, in part at least, depend upon the 

 abundance of fish, resulting in occasional flights when they 

 are decidedly common, as in 1888 and 1910. The adult in the 

 light phase is much scarcer than other plumages. 



Of the three species the Pomarine is the largest, but 

 young birds are no larger than adult Parasitic Jaegers. 

 There is no essential difference in plumage between the two 

 to serve as a reliable field character, but the elongated 

 central tail feathers are twisted and wide in the Pomarine, 

 and narrow and pointed in the Parasitic. This is an excellent 

 character in adult birds, but the elongation of these feathers is 

 greatly reduced in young birds, and consequently the distinc- 

 tion becomes difficult to make out. 



The Pomarine Jaeger is an uncommon but regular fall 

 transient off the coast of Long Island. Apparently very rare 

 in spring, and there is only one definite record. Casual at 

 Ossining, October 18, 1877 (A. K. Fisher). 



Long Island. Uncommon fall transient, August 2 to October 

 30. Very rare in spring, but one definite record, May 16, 1918, 

 Long Beach (E. P. Bicknell). Casually as early as July 7. 



ORIENT. Rare fall transient, August 6, 1888 to October 

 7, 1888. 



LONG BEACH. Rare; May 16, 1918. (Bicknell); August 

 10, 1913 (Hix) to mid-October 1872 (N. T. Lawrence). 



